Would You Say The Slices In The Picture Are Equal In Calories?

Published on February 18, 2015 byGreg Getzinger

The title is not a trick question, but you may want to start paying closer attention to cutting your slices much more equally. Starting December 1, 2015, new menu labeling requirements by the FDA will go in affect. You may need to pay closer attention to disclosing the number of calories to your pizzas and slices. Do you know how the laws may affect your pizza business or restaurant?

The new FDA menu labeling requirements will apply to restaurants and similar retail food establishments. If you are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, and offering for sale substantially the same menu items, you will be required to clearly and conspicuously display calorie information for standard items on your menus and menu boards.

Pizza is considered to be a multi-serving dish, which can be labeled by the total calories for a whole pizza or by the slice. If you sell whole pizzas and cut the pizzas into slices, then put the cut pizzas in the box, it is likely that your customer will appreciate a quick glance at how many calories are in each slice. If you sell pizza by the slice, then yes, you will likely be required to disclose the calories by the slice.

If you are not a chain of 20 or more, it is likely you will not be affected by the FDA requirements. So If you don’t have 20 units, you probably think you have dodged a bullet, right? Not exactly, be prepared to feel the pressure from your customers. They will become accustom to reading the calories on the menus of the larger chains. Expect your customers to ask for you to provide them with the calories per slice or by the whole pizza, just like the larger chains.

What about those pizzas in that picture? Will cutting pizzas without some kind of cutting guide, having them turn out as poorly as they do in the picture pass the FDA calorie guidelines? It’s too early to tell, but before you know it, December will be right around the corner. Be proactive, learn as much as you can now. To find more about the new FDA requirements that may soon affect your business, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm217762.htm

February 13, 2015, written by Greg Getzinger CEO of NuVo Grand, LLC and the Portion PadL www.portionpadl.com 330-608-5928.

The information from this article was obtained from the FDA website and is broad in nature. Please link to http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm217762.htm for more detailed information.
The pizzas in the picture were purchased from a convenience store in Ohio.